Robert Short, has written a new book entitled,
The Parables of Dr. Seuss (Westminster
John Knox Press, Louisville, 2008, ISBN 978-0-664-23047-0). It may seem more than
strange that Dr. Seuss’s popular books for children can be used to bring us to Ephesians
1:9,10 and 3:9, but Short gets us there by way of Seuss’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, and then comments: “In case you missed it, Paul here makes it unmistakably clear where
everything —including all people, Christians and non-Christians alike—will finally go:
“everything” will be “brought into a unity in Christ.” And it’s exactly this invincible plan
that all Christians are “to make everyone see” (p.18,19).
As most of our readers know, we both work for the Concordant Publishing Concern
(15570 Knochaven Rd., Santa Clarita CA 91387), helping prepare the magazine,
Unsearchable Riches ($1.00 subscription per year), and still working on the Concordant Version of
the Old Testament. The CVOT of the Pentateuch has recently been printed and is offered at
the special price of $12.00 for the next month or so (we keep a small stock here in Almont).
I (Dean) have been working on studies in both Romans and Genesis, and recently, in
meditating on Genesis 4:1-7, I was struck again by the fact thatYahweh spoke directly to
the sinner, Cain. It is usually claimed that Genesis 4:6,7 is a message of warning, but I am
convinced it is a message of good news concerning God’s provision of a sin offering, and
that it foreshadows 2 Corinthians 5:21. Cain refused the sin offering, but God’s provision
for sinners will not finally be wasted. Ultimately all humanity, including those who
go stubbornly in the way of Cain (Jude 11) will be brought, in God’s mercy, to bow in the
Name of Jesus (Yahweh-Saviour) and acclaim Him as their Lord to the glory of God the
Father (see Rom.11:32; Phil.2:10,11).

“Therefore I am saying to you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be pardoned men, yet the blasphemy of the spirit shall
not be pardoned. And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be pardoned him, yet whoever
may be saying aught against the holy spirit, it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which
is impending” (Matt. 12:31,32). “Yet whoever should be blaspheming against the holy spirit is having no pardon for the eon, but is liable to the eonian
penalty for the sin” (Mark 3:29).

In order to disprove the truth that God will save all mankind, the blasphemy of the holy
spirit is often brought forth.We are assured by these people that one who commits such a
sin “hath never forgiveness.” Therefore, such a one can never be saved and that is the end
of God saving all. These people who state as much say the Universalist believes this sin
will be forgiven. However, this is false. Of course in a more literal, consistent translation
such as the Concordant Literal New Testament, “pardoned” is much better than “forgiveness”
in these passages as this has to do with an executive such as a king pardoning a subject
of the kingdom. During this eon and the eon to come no pardon will be forthcoming.
Such a person just cannot be pardoned. They must do the full time for their crime. We do
the same in our system of law. Often the President pardons certain people in prison and they
are released early. Otherwise they remain behind bars. In our legal system, one would not
infer that should one not be pardoned they must remain incarcerated
longer
than the sentence
laid down by the judge. Eventually they will be freed as will the blasphemer. Eventually
God will save all mankind due to what Christ accomplished for us all.